Disability Specialist

School of the Art Institute of Chicago; Chicago, Northern (IL, KY); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) is seeking a Disability Specialist for the Disability and Learning Resource Center (DLRC) to ensure equitable access for students with disabilities. The role supports accommodation implementation, assistive technologies, accessible testing, and documentation management within SAIC’s art and design programs.

You will collaborate with faculty, staff, and campus partners to remove barriers and foster inclusive educational practices, grounded in access,

Qualifications

• BA or MA in Rehabilitation Counseling, Disability Studies, Higher Education, Education, Counseling, Social Work, Psychology, or related field.
• Minimum of three years of progressively responsible professional experience in higher education disability services or accessibility services.
• Experience working with art and design students or familiarity with studio‑based pedagogy.
• Experience evaluating disability‑related housing accommodation requests and collaborating with Residence Life or campus partners.
• Experience supporting students through learning strategies, executive functioning, assistive technology, and Universal Design for Learning.

Responsibilities

• Engages students in the interactive accommodation process, reviews documentation, determines accommodations for art/design curriculum.
• Applies ADA, ADAAA, Section 504, FHA, policies, and professional standards to implement accommodations across classrooms, studios, housing, and services.
• Provides disability-related support to promote self-advocacy and student success through strategies and assistive technologies.
• Evaluates housing accommodation requests and coordinates with Residence Life to monitor approvals.

Skills

Disability services

AIM case management

Accessible education

Collaboration

Learning strategies

Universal Design for Learning

Housing accommodations

Project leadership

Art/design pedagogy familiarity

Communication

Education

BA/MA in Rehabilitation Counseling or related field

Tools

AIM system

Job description

For more than 150 years, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has been a leader in educating the world's most influential artists, designers and scholars. Located in downtown Chicago with a fine arts graduate program consistently ranking among the top four graduate fine arts programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, SAIC provides an interdisciplinary approach to art and design as well as world-class resources, including the Art Institute of Chicago Museum, on-campus galleries and state-of-the-art facilities. SAIC's undergraduate, graduate and post-baccalaureate students have the freedom to take risks and create the bold ideas that transform Chicago and the world—as seen through notable alumni and faculty such as Michelle Grabner, David Sedaris, Elizabeth Murray, Richard Hunt, Georgia O'Keeffe, Cynthia Rowley, Nick Cave, and LeRoy Neiman.

About the Department

The mission of the Disability and Learning Resource Center (DLRC) is to support a universally accessible educational community that fosters full participation and contribution of every member. The DLRC carries out its mission by delivering innovative and high-quality services to SAIC students with disabilities and by facilitating and advocating for reasonable accommodations so that students have equal access to all programs, activities, and services of the institution. The DLRC cultivates opportunities for students to articulate their strengths, empowers them to advocate for their own learning needs, and identifies and responds to the dynamic nature of student needs and learning environments.

Position Summary

The Disability Specialist advances the mission of the Disability and Learning Resource Center (DLRC) by supporting equal and equitable access and full participation for students with registered disabilities. The position engages students in the interactive accommodation process, reviews disability-related documentation and student-reported information, determines reasonable academic and housing accommodations, and coordinates implementation in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Fair Housing Act (FHA), SAIC policies, and professional best practices.

Working within SAIC's distinctive art and design curriculum, the Disability Specialist partners with students, faculty, and campus colleagues to remove barriers to learning while supporting student self‑advocacy, accessibility, and inclusive educational practices. The position also contributes to the effective operation and continuous improvement of DLRC services through accommodation management, assistive technology, accessible testing and materials, AIM case management, and service improvement initiatives. Grounded in the DLRC’s values of access and equity, collaboration, accountability, creativity, and integrity, the Disability Specialist helps foster a campus where all students can fully participate and thrive.

Responsibilities

Student Access, Accommodation and Learning Support

• Engages students in an individualized, interactive accommodation process through intake meetings and ongoing consultation. Review student self-report, disability documentation, functional impacts, and other relevant information to determine reasonable accommodations appropriate to an art and design curriculum, including studio modifications, critique adjustments, material safety accommodations, alternative formats for visual work, and other individualized accommodations.
• Applies the ADA, ADAAA, Section 504, FHA, institutional policies, and professional standards to determine, coordinate, implement, and monitor academic and housing accommodations across classrooms, studios, fabrication facilities, residence halls, field experiences, and other institutional programs, activities, and services.
• Provides individualized disability-related support that promotes self‑advocacy and student success through learning strategies, executive functioning support, organization, time management, assistive and adaptive technologies, and referrals to appropriate campus resources.
• Evaluates disability-related housing accommodation requests and collaborates with Residence Life and campus partners to coordinate and monitor approved accommodations.

Consultation, Accessibility and Institutional Collaboration

• Collaborates with faculty and campus partners to support accommodation implementation, understand course learning outcomes and studio practices, maintain essential academic and program requirements, and address questions related to disability access and potential fundamental alterations.
• Serves as a disability and accessibility resource by providing consultation, education, and guidance that identifies barriers and advances accessible, inclusive, and equitable practices across academic, creative, and campus environments.

Operations, Assistive Technology and Data Management

• Coordinates disability-related services, including accommodated testing, note‑taking support, accessible and alternative‑format materials, assistive technology, accommodation communications, and other approved services. Assess access needs and recommend appropriate assistive and adaptive technologies.
• Utilizes AIM and other departmental systems to manage accommodation administration, documentation, communication, reporting, and confidential student records while contributing to assessment and continuous improvement of DLRC services.

Department Leadership and Professional Practice

• Leads or participates in departmental committees, task forces, projects, and strategic initiatives through research, planning, implementation, stakeholder coordination, communication, and continuous improvement activities.
• Collaborates with the Director, DLRC colleagues, faculty, and campus partners to advance departmental priorities, improve programs and service delivery, and support operational effectiveness.
• Maintains current knowledge of disability law, fair housing law, accessibility, assistive technology, and emerging practices in higher education disability services through ongoing professional development. Exercise sound professional judgment, maintain confidentiality, participate in departmental and institutional initiatives, and perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• BA (MA preferred) degree in Rehabilitation Counseling, Disability Studies, Higher Education, Education, Counseling, Social Work, Psychology, or a related field.
• Minimum of three years of progressively responsible professional experience in higher education disability services or accessibility services.
• Equivalent training, education, and/or experience may be considered.
• Experience working with art and design students or familiarity with studio‑based, practice‑based, performance‑based, or critique‑based pedagogy.
• Experience evaluating disability‑related housing accommodation requests and collaborating with Residence Life or comparable campus partners.
• Experience supporting students through learning strategies, executive functioning, self‑advocacy, assistive technology, and Universal Design for Learning principles within creative learning environments.
• Experience using AIM or another disability services case management system.
• Experience leading projects, committees, task forces, or process improvement initiatives.

The expected hiring range is an estimated amount for positions based on the grade. Final offers are based on various factors, including skill set, experience, qualifications and other job‑related reasons.

Union

This position is part of a bargaining unit represented by AFSCME Council 31.

Accessibility

If you are a job seeker with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to apply for one of our jobs, you will find the contact information to request the appropriate accommodation by visiting the following page.

The Art Institute of Chicago is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits, hires and promotes qualified individuals compliant with federal and state laws. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact the Department of Human Resources at [e-mail] .

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.